Author: James A. Bacon
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Officer-Involved Shootings on the Rise in 2024
The number of officer-involved shootings in Virginia increased to 45 in 2024, nearly double the rate recorded in 2019, according to the Virginia State Police Crime in Virginia 2024 report. The number of fatal shootings, 31, was two-and-a-half times higher than five years previously. The Crime in Virginia report classifies every one of the shootings…
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About Those Hate Crime Numbers…
The officially reported tally of hate crimes against Jews spiked to 84 in 2024, while the number against Blacks increased slightly from an already high level to 136, according to data from the Virginia State Police Crime in Virginia 2024 report. As the report itself notes, however, these numbers should be viewed with caution. “Because…
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Trump Administration Sues UVA for Offering In-State Tuition to Illegal Aliens
by Kerry Dougherty Imagine, for a moment, you’re the parent of an exceptional North Carolina high school senior. She worked hard. Her grades are excellent. Her test scores are top tier. She applies to and is accepted at Virginia’s prestigious flagship, the University of Virginia. The cost of in-state tuition for a first-year student ranges…
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School Division’s Legal Bills Continue to Swell
by Stephanie Lundquist-Arora Even Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, Virginia Senate president pro tempore, knows the last thing Fairfax County needs is more money. Earlier this month, Sen. Lucas posted on X, “I’m getting sick and tired of localities in Northern Virginia (especially Fairfax) spreading misinformation about being underfunded by the Commonwealth of Virginia. It’s time to correct…
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Somali Daycare Scandal Spreading
by Kerry Dougherty Buckle up, folks. Nick Shirley’s blockbuster report on massive fraud in the daycare and healthcare industries in Minnesota may just be the tip of the Somali iceberg. Investigations are underway in Washington State where more than 500 licensed daycares are run by Somalis. Many without physical addresses. Uh-oh.
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America’s Greatest of All Time
by Chap Petersen In a few days, our country will enter its 250th year. Some of us are old enough to remember the “Bicentennial” of 1976, which was the celebration of a younger, less introspective, nation. But America is no less greater. Indeed, the achievements of our Founding Fathers grow more noteworthy with time as…
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There Are Real Scholars at UVA.
And then there are guys like this… But that’s nothing. Wait until you see what this guy is teaching!…
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Slight Decline in Law Enforcement Staffing in 2024
The number of law enforcement employees declined slightly (1.2 percent) in 2024 compared to the year before, according to Virginia State Police Crime in Virginia data. The number of both civilians and officers was almost identical to that in 2022 when homicides were roughly 25 percent higher. If the number of law-enforcement personnel is a…
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3,257 Police Officers Assaulted in 2024
Even as homicides and violent crimes declined in 2024, according to the Virginia State Police Crime in Virginia 2024 report, the number of assaults on Virginia police officers continued at roughly the same rate as in the previous two years. The 727 injuries to officers did represent a 10-percent decline from 2023, however. One police…